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Judges 7:24

in Judges 7

Gideon sent messengers throughout the hill country of Ephraim to say, “Come down against the Midianites and seize the waters of the Jordan ahead of them as far as Beth-barah.” So all the men of Ephraim were called out, and they captured the waters of the Jordan as far as Beth-barah.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

And Gideon sent messengers throughout all the hill-country of Ephraim, saying, Come down against Midian, and take before them the waters, as far as Beth-barah, even the Jordan. So all the men of Ephraim were gathered together, and took the waters as far as Beth-barah, even the Jordan.

KJV

And Gideon sent messengers throughout all mount Ephraim, saying, Come down against the Midianites, and take before them the waters unto Beth–barah and Jordan. Then all the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and took the waters unto Beth–barah and Jordan.

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This verse in Judges 7

Commentary

7 notes on this verse

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

Take before them the waters unto Beth-barah - This is probably the same place as that mentioned Joh 1:28, where the Hebrews forded Jordan under the direction of Joshua. To this place the Midianites directed their flight that they might escape into their own country; and here, being met by the Ephraimites, they appear to have been totally overthrown, and their two generals taken.

This site's exposition

Gideon sent messengers throughout the hill country

on Judges 7:24-25

Ephraim is called after the fighting, and 8:1 opens with that tribe complaining of exactly this. Seizing "the waters of the Jordan" shuts the escape route, as Ehud did at 3:28. Oreb means raven and Zeeb wolf, the rock and the winepress keep their names from what happened there, and Isaiah 10:26 and Psalm 83:11 recall the day, the psalm asking God to do it again.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

), that is, posted themselves along the river side, so that the Midianites, who fled from those who pursued them, fell into the hands of those that waited to intercept them.

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

2 And the L ORD said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me. 3 Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from mount Gilead.

quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:97%@v2-3

A commentator

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament (1765)

proposed

The waters - That is, the passes over those waters to which they are like to come. Jordan - The fords of Jordan, which they must pass over into their own country.
And Gideon sent messengers throughout all Mount Ephraim,....

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

The waters - The streams which run from the mountain district of Ephraim into the Jordan in the district of Beth-shan, forming great pools and marshes, which the Midianites fleeing south would have to cross before they could reach the Jordan fords. All the men of Ephraim - They had taken no previous part in the rising against Midian: nor had Gideon, of the smaller tribe of Manasseh, presumed before to summon his more powerful and arrogant brethren of the great tribe of Ephraim (see Jos 17:14-18).

The words behind it

31 Hebrew words

Every Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

  • וּמַלְאָכִ֡יםand messengers

    umalakhimH4397 →213 times

  • שָׁלַ֣חhe sent

    shalachH7971 →845 times

  • גִּדְעוֹן֩Gideon

    gidonH1439 →39 times

  • בְּכָל־in all

    bekholH3605 →5413 times

  • הַ֨ר[the] hill country of

    harH2022 →546 times

  • אֶפְרַ֜יִםEphraim

    ʾefrayimH669 →180 times

  • לֵאמֹ֗ר<to> saying

    lemorH559 →5305 times

  • רְד֞וּcome down

    reduH3381 →381 times

  • לִקְרַ֤אתto meet

    likratH7122 →139 times

  • מִדְיָן֙Midian

    midyanH4080 →59 times

  • וְלִכְד֤וּand capture

    velikhduH3920 →121 times

  • לָהֶם֙to <the> them

    lahem

  • אֶת־<obj.>

    ʾet-H853 →10935 times

  • הַמַּ֔יִםthe waters

    hamayimH4325 →581 times

  • עַ֛דto

    ʾadH5704 →1261 times

  • בֵּ֥יתBeth

    beitH1012 →4 times

  • בָּרָ֖הBarah

    barahH1012 →4 times

  • וְאֶת־and <obj.>

    veetH853 →10935 times

  • הַיַּרְדֵּ֑ןthe Jordan

    haiyardenH3383 →182 times

  • וַיִּצָּעֵ֞קand he was summoned

    vaiyitzaekH6817 →55 times

  • כָּל־every

    kol-H3605 →5413 times

  • אִ֤ישׁ<the> man of

    ʾishH376 →1663 times

  • אֶפְרַ֙יִם֙Ephraim

    ʾefrayimH669 →180 times

  • וַיִּלְכְּד֣וּand they captured

    vaiyilkeduH3920 →121 times

  • אֶת־<obj.>

    ʾet-H853 →10935 times

  • הַמַּ֔יִםthe waters

    hamayimH4325 →581 times

  • עַ֛דto

    ʾadH5704 →1261 times

  • בֵּ֥יתBeth

    beitH1012 →4 times

  • בָּרָ֖הBarah

    barahH1012 →4 times

  • וְאֶת־and <obj.>

    veetH853 →10935 times

  • הַיַּרְדֵּֽן׃the Jordan

    haiyardenH3383 →182 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

8 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

John 1:28All this happened at Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.5 worksJudges 3:28“Follow me,” he told them, “for the LORD has delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand.” So they followed him down and seized the fords of the Jordan leading to Moab, and did not allow anyone to cross over.3 worksPhilippians 1:27Nevertheless, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending side by side for the faith of the gospel,2 worksRomans 15:30Now I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me.2 worksJudges 12:5The Gileadites captured the fords of the Jordan leading to Ephraim, and whenever a fugitive from Ephraim would say, “Let me cross over,” the Gileadites would ask him, “Are you an Ephraimite?” If he answered, “No,”2 worksJudges 3:27–28On arriving in Seirah, he blew the ram’s horn throughout the hill country of Ephraim. The Israelites came down with him from the hills, and he became their leader.2 works
The other 2 cross-references, with their words ▾
2 Samuel 20:21That is not the case. But a man named Sheba son of Bichri, from the hill country of Ephraim, has lifted up his hand against the king, against David. Deliver him alone, and I will depart from the city.” “Look,” the woman replied, “his head will be thrown to you over the wall.”2 worksJudges 6:33Then all the Midianites, Amalekites, and other people of the east gathered together, crossed over the Jordan, and camped in the Valley of Jezreel.2 works

The walk

8 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    Philippians 1:27

    Nevertheless, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm…

    it leads to

    • Ephesians 4:1

      As a prisoner in the Lord, then, I urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling you have received:

    • 1 Corinthians 16:13–14

      Be on the alert. Stand firm in the faith. Be men of courage. Be strong.

    • 1 Corinthians 1:10

      I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree together, so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be united…

    • 2 Peter 3:14

      Therefore, beloved, as you anticipate these things, make every effort to be found at peace—spotless and blameless in His sight.

    • Philippians 2:1–2

      Therefore if you have any encouragement in Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any affection and compassion,

  • Through

    John 1:28

    All this happened at Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

    it leads to

    • John 10:40

      Then Jesus went back across the Jordan to the place where John had first been baptizing, and He stayed there.

    • John 3:23

      Now John was also baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because the water was plentiful there, and people kept coming to be baptized.

  • Through

    Romans 15:30

    Now I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me.

    it leads to

    • Colossians 4:12

      Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends you greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, so that you may stand mature and fully assured in the…

Where this verse is studied

About Judges

Gideon Chooses 300 Soldiers — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain
Gideon Chooses 300 Soldiers — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain
Judges: the study guide →Read Judges 7 →

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: Joshua, Judges, Ruth and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.

Read on in Judges 7 →